There are various scenarios in which a patient's heart function should be regularly monitored. In particular, there are various scenarios in which a patient's heart valve function should be regularly monitored. For example, and not by way of limitation, a patient with a known history or a family history of heart valve defects, such as aortic valve stenosis, should be regularly monitored to determine if the heart valve is functioning properly. Further, patients who have had replacement heart valves implanted, regular monitoring is required to determine if the replacement heart valve is functioning properly. Replacement heart valves have a life cycle which is highly variable and unpredictable, depending on various factors such as, but not limited to, patient physiology and personal life style.
The current standard for such regular monitoring is an echocardiogram (also known as “cardiac ultrasound” or “cardiac Doppler”), which determines ejection fraction. However, such testing requires capital equipment and a specialized echocardiogram technician. Therefore, such testing requires the patient to travel to a health care provider to have the test performed. Due to the cost and inconvenience, such testing is performed at periodically, without a means for testing in the time between such visits.
Accordingly, it would be desirable for some patients to have an “in-home” monitoring system to assist in monitoring valvular function between echocardiogram tests or instead of such echocardiogram tests.